A New Purpose
A 40-year- old abandoned Paint mare finds a new home and a new job.
“Thanks to A Home for Every Horse and the program’ forever home for Cheyenne at Horse Feathers Equine Center when no one else would give her a home.”— Mattie Alewine
Ireceived a phone call from an old college friend, Mattie Alewine, who was in dire need of finding a home
for an abandoned horse in the spring of 2022. Mattie then posted the horse in a local community group on Facebook, and she had been claimed by her original owners. I assumed Mattie did not need my help anymore and that was the end of that. If only every story was so simple.
Unfortunately, we soon found out that Cheyenne’s owners didn’t want her back. Mattie offered to haul her back home for them, and they insisted it was impossible to load her on a trailer. Each additional suggestion was followed with more excuses. Even worse, their story led us to believe that Cheyenne hadn’t escaped their home but had been left on the ranch where she eventually had been found. They wouldn’t share their name, address or any contact information. Mattie had then reached out to law enforcement for assistance, but we didn’t like any of their solutions, either.
FINDING A NEW HOME
None of that mattered to either of us, though, because we knew we needed to find a loving home for this sweet mare no matter what. Mattie originally asked if I would take her in because, like me, she’s a young girl with an animal addiction and spends most of her salary on feeding and caring for her many critters. We both agreed it was not smart for either of us to take on another horse.
As the manager of A Home for Every Horse, I knew I needed to reach out to the rescuers nearby. Cheyenne had missing teeth, was a little thin and had an apparent eye infection, so it was important for her to not travel far. After reaching out to a handful of AHFEH rescue members, one rescue was willing to take her in.
Horse Feathers Equine Center in Guthrie, Oklahoma, offered Cheyenne a forever home, and we were so grateful. But I didn’t want to stop there. It didn’t feel right to send Cheyenne off empty-handed, and our program sponsors agreed. Everyone was willing to help, so off I went to my local Tractor Supply for a shopping spree. Cheyenne was delivered with a month of Purina feed and treats, a WeatherBeeta blanket, Absorbine’s Silver Honey ointment, and Absorbine’s Thrush Buster.
Now that the paperwork was signed and goodies were picked up, the hard part … getting Cheyenne on a trailer. We had a group of people gathered ready for a challenge. But Cheyenne had other
ideas. Without hesitation or question, she walked right on, further confirming the intentions of her previous owners.
When I pulled into Horse Feathers Equine Center, they already had a quarantine pen set up for Cheyenne full of hay and fresh water. Cheyenne settled right in with no stress and went to munching on some hay.
FINDING A PURPOSE
A week later, I checked in with Cheri White Owl at Horse Feathers Equine Center to see how Cheyenne was doing and was thrilled with her response. “She has a purpose,” Cheri said. “We use her for people who are new to horses.” Knowing that a lot of rescue horses come from abandoned and neglected situations, they often aren’t easy to handle. Having a horse that can be used to educate and train volunteers is priceless. Not only did Cheyenne find a forever home, but she also found a meaningful new career.
Another week later, the dentist was out to do an exam on Cheyenne. When working on her, some teeth even fell out. The dentist estimated Cheyenne to be closer to 40 years old. This made Cheyenne a great fit for Horse Feathers “Senior Ole Timers Club.” The Ole Timers Club is a weekly program for the senior citizen community to gather, socialize and spend time with horses. The seniors relate to Cheyenne in her elderly years, and Cheyenne, in return, shows them love and patience.